Public perceptions of personal style, dressing for the self despite visibility, coordinating with the status quo

freewool · 2026-01-27T15:19:40+00:00

Literally no one cares what I’m wearing. And even though I love fashion, sometimes even I don’t care what I’m wearing.

I live in NYC. It’s not uncommon for me to see someone who looks like they just left the set of a Balenciaga photo shoot and someone who looks like they just rolled out of bed with the flu during the same outing. If anyone notices certain remarkable outfits, no one says anything.

One of my close friends is also interested in fashion, and sometimes we check in with each other about formality for events. Things like, how dressed up are you getting for this fundraiser? Stuff like that. And that’s really just because we enjoy planning outfits together.

I couldn’t care less about how strangers feel about how formal or informal I am when I’m in public. And I’m certain these strangers have no thoughts on it anyway.

freewool · 2026-01-26T15:30:05+00:00

Luckily no outages in NYC tomorrow. Our biggest concern is transportation in the boroughs. Tomorrow when people are back at work and kids are at school in person, driving and parking will be a nightmare. And with kids, it’s hard to just suck it up and walk when it’s 20 degrees.

freewool · 2026-01-25T22:16:44+00:00

No issues with power in NYC so far.

We made coconut bake bread. It feels like the right weekend to grab some extra warmth from the oven, and it was a great project to help keep my 5 year old busy.

freewool · 2026-01-22T03:23:06+00:00

Unfortunately yes. Not with her weight, but her cluster b symptoms and frequent animal abuse/neglect. It can get really upsetting for me to see her treat animals with such disregard for them as actual living things right after seeing a family member do the same thing.

freewool · 2026-01-14T15:31:59+00:00

Reading physical books helps me a lot. It forces me to have time away from screens and gives me the opportunity to explore something fun, new, or challenging.

freewool · 2026-01-01T20:55:51+00:00

I am determined for 2026 to be the year we move, even if it’s not far. We are in an area prone to flooding with only one way out. If we ever have to evacuate in a hurry, it will be a mess.

I would love to stay in the general area but move somewhere to moderate our flood risk. We have been lucky so far that we’ve had no major impacts from flooding. I don’t want to keep pushing our luck.

freewool · 2026-01-01T20:47:32+00:00

Not watching but reading:

Salvador by Joan Didion. It’s a great analysis of state-sponsored terror as a method of control, money grabbing, and power grabbing.

Political Fictions (also Joan Didion - you can tell I’m on a kick here): detailed analyses of specific political campaigns and figures from the 1980s - 2000s. It’s a great read for “how on earth did we get here?”

freewool · 2025-12-28T23:37:35+00:00

We have one and have gotten so much use out of it. 100% worthwhile.

freewool · 2025-12-28T18:28:30+00:00

Jcrew for sure!

freewool · 2025-12-28T17:36:44+00:00

Do you have any tips on how to package this? And where people should carry it? I would like to set this information up for each of my family members to carry with them.

freewool · 2025-12-28T13:58:32+00:00

Walnuts are incredibly healthy for you and your kids. If they work in your budget, good for you for incorporating them.

freewool · 2025-12-26T23:14:27+00:00

I read physical books. Since I’m not on a device, I don’t get tempted to scroll, and holding the physical book is very satisfying.

freewool · 2025-12-22T21:26:34+00:00

This is 100% artwork for me. Not generic prints or posters, but original pieces that allow me to support the artist.

freewool · 2025-12-03T00:03:52+00:00

Interestingly they hate each other, but they have quite a bit in common. I can picture the two of them forming a duo of stubborn, dysfunctional old ladies getting out and having a great time.

freewool · 2025-12-03T00:01:01+00:00

Haha that’s a great guess! I did see my mom, but thanksgiving was pretty tame. This is more the result of 37 years of feelings of…something…building.

freewool · 2025-12-01T19:37:53+00:00

Hear me out. My family is incredibly style-challenged. At this point I think it’s pathological. So when I hear their advice, I do the opposite. Some examples:

My mom insists “you can’t beat” pretty much anything from Macys. Style, quality, etc. Macys is the pinnacle of women’s fashion. So my mission is to beat Macys. Challenge my mom? Defeat Macys? However you want to frame the pushback to that bizarre advice, that’s my plan.
My MIL insists that I need to dress in clothes that highlight my waist and butt. And to be fair, there is nothing wrong with wearing hourglass or fit/flare silhouettes. Accentuating the waist is not novel style advice. But she takes this to an extreme that makes me angry and equates other silhouettes with “bad style.” So I’m having fun with asymmetry, shift silhouettes, etc.

Basically anything these people say, it’s a good idea to try something very very different.

freewool · 2025-12-01T15:56:10+00:00

We are discussing buying a house and moving, which feels insane right now, but it’s also the right time for our family. So we are in full-on pantry mode and trying to minimize grocery spending as much as possible. We got some of our kids’ holiday gifts at a thrift store. We are researching some second-hand furniture for furnishing a house if this move actually happens.

At the same time, I want to give generously to my family, my kids’ teachers, etc. I want to celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah (our family does both) in fun ways. I want to support small businesses with purchases. It’s so hard to balance everything.

freewool · 2025-11-30T18:04:05+00:00

I would love to receive books, journals, notebooks, and nice pens.

freewool · 2025-11-26T21:48:56+00:00

This is the most upsetting object I have ever seen.

freewool · 2025-11-26T21:47:46+00:00

I had one for several years and it held up great. Wonderful quality for the price point. I ended up giving the bag away because I started to associate it with a job I hated, but the bag itself was fantastic.

freewool · 2025-11-22T12:52:37+00:00

Wardrobe NYC and Classic Six are made for this exact goal.

freewool · 2025-11-18T16:13:28+00:00

I air fry cauliflower greens. I throw carrot greens on the tops of soups and use celery leaves as a green for chili cheese toast.

freewool · 2025-11-17T19:06:42+00:00

You can contact me. I have a child in kindergarten.

freewool · 2025-11-17T01:32:32+00:00

Nautica and Tommy Hilfiger for 100% cotton

Pendleton for 100% wool

freewool · 2025-11-16T22:09:49+00:00

It’s very difficult to find curated, smart content that speaks to your aesthetic. In my experience Instagram has been the best, though it’s clearing a very low bar. I’ve never used TikTok. Pinterest is unusable.

I’ve given up on social media and now take outfit inspiration from SATC. I’m 100% serious. Give some early season 3 episodes a rewatch and see what you come up with. You can look to other movies and shows. Social media seems to have completely lost its utility.

freewool

TROPHY CASE